A man who was seen carrying what appeared to be a long firearm in Sant Antoni following a dispute was located by the Guardia Civil, who subsequently recovered two airsoft replicas from his home.

The incident happened on Sunday, September 13, after security staff at a hotel alerted the Guardia Civil to a man reportedly carrying what appeared to be a firearm near the establishment.

The Guardia Civil later determined that the weapons were airsoft replicas and that neither had the documentation required under the applicable regulations.

Hotel Security Alert Guardia Civil

According to information released by the Guardia Civil, hotel security staff contacted the authorities after seeing the man in the vicinity of the establishment.

The initial report indicated that the man had apparently attempted to intimidate another person with what appeared to be a long firearm following a previous dispute.

Several Guardia Civil patrols went to the area and spoke with the hotel's security personnel.

The reported dispute is being described carefully because the other person involved was not located by officers at the scene.

CCTV Footage Shows Man Carrying Long Replica

Officers reviewed the hotel's CCTV footage as part of their investigation.

The recordings showed a man walking along the pavement next to the hotel while carrying a long object in one hand, pointed towards the ground.

The footage enabled officers to identify and subsequently locate the man's home.

The Guardia Civil did not report a serious public disturbance occurring at the time shown in the recordings.

Two Airsoft Replicas Handed Over

When officers located the man at his home and requested the weapons, he voluntarily handed over two airsoft replicas.

Neither had the documentation required by law, according to the Guardia Civil.

One of the replicas was identified as the same object seen being carried in the street shortly before.

The second replica was also taken into police custody.

Administrative Sanction Proposed

The Guardia Civil has processed a proposal for an administrative sanction in connection with the possession and use of the replicas.

The proposed sanction is based on Article 36.10 of Organic Law 4/2015 on the Protection of Citizen Security, together with Articles 147.2.a and 149.1 of the Weapons Regulations.

The case and the seized replicas have been placed at the disposal of the competent authorities.

No Arrest Reported

The available information does not report an arrest in connection with the incident.

The Guardia Civil instead recovered the two replicas and initiated administrative sanction proceedings.

It is also important not to present the reported intimidation as an established fact. The Guardia Civil's information states that the man allegedly attempted to intimidate another person, but that person was not located at the scene.

Why Airsoft Replicas Can Cause Serious Concern

Although airsoft replicas are not firearms that use live ammunition, realistic replicas can closely resemble actual weapons.

This can create an immediate security concern when they are displayed in public because witnesses and responding officers may initially be unable to determine whether an object is a real firearm.

In this case, the object seen by hotel security appeared to be a long firearm until the Guardia Civil recovered the replicas and identified them as airsoft weapons.

The Incident in Sant Antoni

The incident began with a report of a person carrying what appeared to be a firearm after a dispute and ended with the recovery of two undocumented airsoft replicas.

The Guardia Civil has proposed an administrative sanction under the relevant legislation, while the available information does not indicate that the man has been convicted of a criminal offence.

The case remains with the competent authorities.